Texture Modified Meals Market Report

Modification procedures in the development of TMMs depend upon the severity of swallowing difficulty, ranging from simply pureeing, mincing and chopping to more technical procedures such as gelling and moulding. Pureed food keeps its nutritional value but doesn't have any solid form, and the risk of choking is not so high. For patients having mild to moderate dysphagia, food particles can be minced or finely minced to a size that becomes easy to chew and swallow. Gelling and moulding ingredients include agar, gelatine, and a number of others that work by creating a gel to shape the food into very soft, solid forms so that it remains easy to swallow. This technology then allows the development of such foods that mimic the exact texture of a whole meal thereby helping the patients to obtain the required nutritional intake better.

Nutritional integrity is extremely important, as the meal is being provided to the patient who needs these for regaining or sustaining their strength and health. Therefore, manufacturers also show interest in fortifying such meals with key nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals, correcting deficiencies that are commonly found in swallowing disorder patients. Like many health-related ideas, the concept of texture-modified diets is not easy to comprehend, especially when health companies use their own terms to refer to texture-modification products. The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative, known as IDDSI, was formulated to provide an international standard for the texture of food and beverages. Levels 0–4 include thin, slightly thick, mildly thick, moderately thick, and extremely thick drinks. Levels 3–7 are liquidized, pureed, minced, and moist, soft, and chewable, and regular foods.

All good thickening products and TMFs have clear labelling nowadays which states what IDDSI level they are. An example of this is Flavour Creation’s instant thick sachets that come in different variants- mildly thick, moderately thick, and extremely thick- which means these translate to IDDSI Levels 2, 3, and 4 respectively. This is where the consumer who requires a TMF can pick and select the product that fits them. These changes are so precisely engineered that texture-altered diets are safe, nutrient-dense, and palatable. The manufacturers, therefore, also pay much attention to strengthening these diets with key nutrients, such as proteins, vitamins, and minerals, as deficiencies of these nutrients have been quite common in patients who suffer from swallowing disorders.

Although the texture-modified meal market is experiencing tremendous growth, a number of threats and challenges are likely to hamper its future growth. These threats come from a combination of economic, regulatory, and technological factors that may slow down adoption or impact the overall market potential. Below, we outline the key threats to the texture-modified meal market, the challenges it faces, and the factors that are hampering its growth. One of the biggest challenges in the texture-modified meal market is the high cost of production in making specialized meals. Advanced food processing techniques are often required in developing and manufacturing texture-modified foods, which include expensive equipment, specialized ingredients, and stringent quality control measures. For instance, processes such as HPP, vacuum cooking, or 3D food printing are innovative but highly capital-intensive.

The market for texture-modified meal foods is highly regulated since the same foods have to pass strict criteria of safety and nutrition before they can be availed by those with medical conditions or on certain dietary restrictions. The complexity in regulation may arise within global markets due to varying standards and guidelines on food safety, labeling, and health claims by different countries. In some regions, some of these regulatory requirements can restrict entry by new companies by the rules and regulations manufacturers must keep in place for food preparation packaging, and distribution. Another challenge that the market faces is ensuring consistency in meal quality, especially for texture-modified meals, which are often produced in large quantities for hospitals or long-term care facilities.

The growing competition with alternative solutions designed to serve similar needs is another threat to the texture-modified meal market. Some people who have difficulty swallowing may turn to oral supplements or liquid meals as alternatives to texture-modified foods. Consumer's cultural and dietary preferences also become a barrier to adopting texture-modified meals. Ingesting texture-modified foods is less acceptable for those habituated to the traditional texture or flavor of food; otherwise, they seem either flat or more processed and unappealing. Moreover, the majority of diets have to be provided for by the producer’s vegetarian, gluten-free, halal, kosher, low-sodium diets, or simply more. Manufacturers face extremely daunting challenges to adapt themselves to making all these differences acceptable to the diet while getting it modified appropriately to create such foods that can be conveniently ingested.

One of the major developments is in food processing technology, which has led to improving the quality, flavour, and nutritional content of texture-modified meals. Recently, HPP, vacuum cooking, and sous-vide are the methods most applied to maintain nutritional integrity while enhancing the flavour of modified textures to appeal to the consumer. Lastly, the recent trends also include customization and personalization. The manufacturers are increasingly working towards developing texture-modified meals that are based on the specific health requirements of an individual, such as low-sodium, high-protein, or gluten-free requirements, in order to serve the dietary needs of the patients who have diseases such as hypertension, cancer, or malnutrition.

In March 2024, UK food wholesaler leader Brakes unveiled its ground-breaking texture-modified meals offering to cater to a constantly increasing demand from care and hospital caterers as well as other establishments, for example, schools. In September 2021, Hormel Health Labs introduced a thick & easy texture-modified bread and dessert mix, making consumption of bread products easier for those with swallowing difficulties, medically referred to as dysphagia. Additionally, 3D printing technology is slowly being explored in the texture-modified meal space, and it will be possible to create meals that not only meet dietary needs but also mimic the appearance of traditional foods, thus enhancing the sensory and aesthetic experience for those with swallowing issues.

North America, specifically the United States and Canada, has a vast market for textured-modified meals mainly due to an aging population and high incidence of diseases like stroke, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's. These regions have established health systems that are aware of the fact that dysphagia and other similar disorders do exist. With the advanced levels of medical services that can now better diagnose such conditions and address them early enough, these needs require even more meal specialties for sustenance support. Additionally, the regulatory environment of North America is strong and places very high standards on organizations such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure that meals offered as textured modified are safe and nutritionally adequate.

The demand for textured-modified meals is equally rising in Europe, where an aging population and more patients with chronic conditions that impede the ability to chew and swallow are on the rise. However, regional variations in terms of adoption and preference of TMMs do exist. For instance, within the United Kingdom and Germany, health care systems are relatively well-positioned to serve the needs of individuals suffering from dysphagia, with a broad variety of public health initiatives supporting access to suitable food. Within Southern Europe, for example, Italy and Spain, the use of textured modified meals has been slower to develop, possibly due to traditional dietary preferences that feature fresh, whole foods.

In Asia, there is an increased demand for modified meals, mainly because of the high increase in lifestyle diseases like stroke, diabetes, and hypertension as well as old people. The market however remains to be at an emergency stage in many countries within Asia due to a well-rooted culture and its accompanying practices. Other countries like Japan, South Korea, and China also registered an increase in TMM consumption, mainly because their populations realized the necessity of such foods among elderly people. On the other hand, many Southeast Asian countries are still in the preliminary stages of acknowledging the role of texture-modified foods, which remains an awareness and education issue between healthcare providers and the public. The regional dynamics of textured modified meals differ significantly due to factors like healthcare infrastructure, cultural preference, ageing demographics, and economic conditions.